3 EX-HC JUDGES QUESTION CENTRE OVER RUSHING THROUGH LAWS

CHANDIGARH: Three former judges of the Punjab and Haryana high court, including justice (retd) Ranjit Singh, who probed the sacrilege cases of 2015 in Punjab, have questioned the Centre over rushing through farm laws and warned that unrest in a border state like Punjab may not augur well for peace in the country. Justice Ranjit Singh had led the panel, formed by the Capt Amarinder Singh government, that probed the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent firing by cops on Sikh protesters in 2015.

Justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gillalso led a commission to find out false cases registered during the rule of the SAD-BJP government from 2007 to 2017. This commission, too, was set up by the present Congress government in Punjab. The thirs retired judge to comment on the matter is j ustice (retd) Nawab Singh.

“We fail to understand and appreciate the urgency shown by the central government in introducing these farm laws by first issuing ordinances, that too when whole nation was in lockdown, and fighting a serious pandemic engulfing the world. Was there any urgency or emergency to take the route through ordinances? We see none, as such a law could have waited for consideration in detail during a Parliament session. The government then bulldozed its way to pass these laws in Parliament. The bills were passed in Rajya Sabha in a very questionable manner by voice vote against the demand of division,” the statement released by the three former judges in Chandigarh reads.